In association with English National Opera Puccini’s masterpiece La Bohème is one of the most beloved and enduring operas of all time. In this guide, William Ashbrook evaluates the opera’s initial reception, the reasons for its wide appeal and Verdi’s influence on the composition. Nicholas John discusses the tortuous evolution of the libretto over the course of three and a half years and gives a synopsis, outlining the main themes of La bohème. Edward Greenfield presents a (more…)
![The Blu-ray Experience: Opera & Ballet Highlights [DVD] [1999]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XQrjzz92L._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
”The Blu-ray Experience” includes opera and ballet highlights from the Opus Arte catalogue, and gives everyone the opportunity to experience the stunning quality of High Definition picture and sound, at an extremely competitive price. Including world-class artists such as Bryn Terfel, Cecilia Bartoli, Anne Sofie von Otter, Jose Cura, Simon Keenlyside and Agnes Letestu, this 60-minute introduction to the world of Blu-ray is a must-have purchase this autumn. Blu-ray offers an ou (more…)
Review
“Interdisciplinary in the most thorough-going way.” David Haas, Univeristy of Georgia “[Haldey's] research will be appreciated not only by historians of Russian music and theater, but also by readers interested in Russian culture of the Silver Age.” Malcolm Hamrick Brown, Indiana University
The Moscow Private Opera, founded, sponsored, and directed by Savva Mamontov (1841-1918), was one of Russia’s most important theatrical institutions at the dawn (more…)
Amazon.co.uk Review
For better or worse, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s gothic horror/romance novel has done for stage musicals what Spielberg’s Jaws did for fish stories, with worldwide sales of its original cast album approaching 25 million. While director Joel Schumacher’s film turns on his typically ambitious visual verve, its new film soundtrack recording has been paradoxically focused in scope, yet beefed up dynamically via the brawny presence of a hund (more…)
![The Phantom Of The Opera [DVD] [2004]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41090GGG37L._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Amazon.co.uk Review
Although it’s not as bold as Oscar darling Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera continues the resuscitation of the movie musical with a faithful adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster stage musical. Emmy Rossum glows in a breakout role as opera ingénue Christine Daae, and if phantom Gerard Butler isn’t Rossum’s match vocally, he does convey menace and sensuality in such numbers as “The Music of the Night.” The most experienced musical theater veteran in the cast, romantic lead Patrick Wilson, sings sweetly but seems wooden. The biggest name in the cast, Minnie Driver, hams it up as diva Carlotta, and she’s the only principal whose voice was dubbed (though she does sing the closing-credit number, “L (more…)
Amazon.co.uk Review
What’s left to be said about Andrew Lloyd Webber’s adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera a decade after its premiere? That it’s maddeningly ubiquitous? A stitch-up of various themes shoplifted from the Italian operatic repertoire? A critic-proof crowd pleaser that’s probably being staged somewhere in the world as you read this? A mega-hit that will likely outlive Titanic in the pop-culture pantheon, Phantom has largely redefined–for better or worse–the manner in which modern musicals are conceived, staged and marketed. Its influence has reached far beyond the traditional confines of London and Broadway. A favourite example: an abridged version that was the centrepiece of Los Angeles’ longest running tr (more…)
